Friends,
Happy 245th birthday to our country! Dawn and I hope you had a good holiday weekend with family or friends.
This month let’s start with Dawn: As the new Acting Assistant Attorney General at the US Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel, Dawn is right in the middle of all that the federal government is doing to advance opportunity and protect justice and liberty. Her portfolio is as wide as the federal government’s reach, and she thrives in helping our country confront complex issues and make good decisions. I know so many in Bloomington are proud and excited about her role at the national level, as am I.
Dawn’s great abilities and experience, and her leave of absence from IU, allow her to join directly in all the critical Biden/Harris efforts to address climate change, protect democracy, advance economic and racial justice, and make this a better world. I’m helping support Dawn and that vital work, as we’re navigating the somewhat familiar territory of dual-career and dual-city lives – known to many families. As we do, we both feel very blessed to be able to do jobs we love that embody the values we seek to live by and to advance.
On the Fourth, we were together with family near Philadelphia, just a few miles from Valley Forge, the winter camp where – during the winter of 1777-78 – some say our country’s independence was really won, as General Washington and his team trained and unified thousands of soldiers from all 13 colonies and beyond into the coherent army that eventually defeated the strongest empire in the world.
It’s a sobering reminder of the intense sacrifices it took even to launch this democratic experiment. And the many, many sacrifices it has required to improve and preserve our country.
As optimists, we can see so much progress, with a more inclusive society and a cleaner environment. Less abject poverty and better education. Stunning technological and medical advances.
As realists, we see deep concerns: a democracy at risk from attacks on truth and science and voting itself. Powerful entrenched interests obstructing our critical continued response to climate change, structural racism, and economic inequality.
As a mayor, I embrace the complex, daily challenges of helping our community advance together toward a better future for all. And as a spouse, I celebrate Dawn’s new role in charting our national future.
Long ago, people from all across our emerging country shared a community and built a common purpose amid the harsh conditions in Valley Forge. They overcame differences, found shared values, and were midwives to our imperfect country’s birth. Let’s celebrate that legacy, and embrace that challenge going forward, always toward a more perfect union.
Democratically yours,
John
P.S. Mark your calendar now for the upcoming 7th annual Hamilton Family Picnic – the Sunday after Labor Day, September 12th, from 4 to 7pm. (New exciting location this year: Switchyard Park, at the Pavilion!!) Hope to see you there, as we celebrate Democrats and democracy with music, food, and in-person connections again!